The Dares
by 00Zero
Summary: Rin is being force to play in a truth and dare game. only if she lose she will die, and the demons make sure each dare is impossible for anyone to complete. If Sesshomaru wants to save her he will need to go to any length to do so. Edited version .
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: _Nope, Not owning Inuyasha._

**A/N: **first of all, i would like to say thank you so much, **ADreamerWithAPen**, for making the story flow so smoothly. After your edited, the story seems like it goes up to another level. Thanks for the offer that I have hungrily taken advantage of. *_*

I d_id not meant for the story to be so long. I was planning for 200 words, but it gotten out of hand (again). If it goes as plan I should have the next, which is the end ch. In two days. If not, oh well… _

_This is out of topic, but for those who have asked whether I will continue "Cursed," or write a sequel, I am replying here since there is no way for me to send a reply because most of the reviewers are guests. I am sorry to say that that is a one shot and I don't know if there will be a sequel in the future, but for now my mind is pretty much blank. _

_Thanks for the read, and leave some review if you feel like it. It's nice to hear some responds. _

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"Rin, what's wrong?" asks a monotone voice. It sounds worried to the ears of those who are close to him, like the girl, but others would not notice the difference.

The human girl is seventeen, shaking, and tears are starting to stream from her dark, doe-like eyes down her smooth, pink cheeks. She is panting, and her forehead is breaking out in sweat because she has been running. Her light green kimono and hair are messy.

She is trembling, standing in front of him, a demon lord, surprised to find him here. She shows mixed feelings of surprise, relief, happiness, fright, and submission.

The demon is tall, breathtakingly handsome, and so powerful he could easily take anyone's breath away. He is dressed in white with a large, soft, puffy fur-like thing dragging over his right shoulder and all the way to the ground. His long, silver hair is suspended down his back like smooth silks. His pale, snow white, perfect skin gleams at the touch of the orange rays of the evening sun. His white figure stands out amongst the autumn leaves. They are surrounded by ancient looking trees.

Standing inside a forest.

Trembling hard, the human girl opens her mouth to speak. "I-I am going to die."

His eyes narrow. She understands the silent question and continues. "I have been captured by a demon witch and forced to play the truth and dare game." Her small voice is shaky.

"What are your dares?"

He understands instantly how serious and deadly the game is. He has witnessed it firsthand some years ago. The players have to tell the truth at all times. The cost of a lie is their life.

Back then, he listened to the impossible quests the players were forced to accomplish because the demons wanted their souls. They could kill all they wanted, but the only way for the demons to enslave the souls is to make a deal with the human and take the souls afterward. After the victim had failed at the game.

He did not give a damn back then, but this time it is different. This is the human girl he has protected her entire life.

He looks at the back of her right hand; there is a small, black rose tattoo-like symbol. The flower will change color after each quest is completed, from black to green to pink, and then will vanish after all three quests have been completed.

There is another way to be free from the game, and that is to kill all the demons who have cast the spell.

"Rin?" he repeats.

She looks uneasy, but answers. "My first dare is to get married before the sunset." They both look at the sun's direction. It will last twenty minutes at most.

Rin swallows hard.

Of course it will be impossible for her because the closest village is two days away for a human. She is lucky that he has come across her scent that had been mixed with a demon's and decided to check it out. It isn't natural for her to be so far inside the forest alone. If he was not here, she would have been gone before anyone saw it coming. His cold heart feels heavy at the thought.

His angry eyes turn red, thinking of her pale, cold, stiff, lifeless body. Those demons will not go unpunished. They dare touch his ward, even thinking of enslaving her soul? Twenty minutes is enough time for him to kill all the witch demons to free her.

"How many demons are there?"

"Five. But I heard one left to the north right after I was released to run at noon. And the other two were going down south for some business. The rest went their separate ways."

He stands still for a few seconds, debating his choice. He can chase after the demons, but with all of them scattered in many directions, doing it in twenty minutes will be a little risky. And it will not work unless all the demons that had joined in the ceremony are killed. Not that he cannot do it, but he cannot take chances with Rin's safety.

The best choice left is to find her a suitor.

"It is too far away from the village," Rin states. She is talking more to herself than to her lord. Distance would not be a problem for him. "And it's not like I would marry just anyone." She says bitterly, looking into Sesshomaru's eyes with pleading ones. "I want to marry someone I love and want to spend the rest of my life with. Not just anyone. Why else would I still be unmarried at my age?" she adds the last sentence to answer his silent question.

Most of the girls are marrying at age fourteen. Rin had turned down a few marriage proposals herself.

"Is there a suitor you want to marry?" he asks, noting that they are running out of time.

She lowers her eyes before she whispers, "Yes." She cannot lie because she would die if she did. But even at a time like this, her face still manages to turn the color of a tomato. Her heartbeat quickens at the thought.

"Is he a human from your village? We need to go. We are wasting time here." Sesshomaru is gathering his demonic energy creating a sphere of light, reaching a hand for her, ready to travel back to the human village. It should take them five minutes.

In truth, he doesn't want her to wed yet, and given a choice he might never want her to, but it is out of his hands now. She is either wedded or dead. But his sphere disappears at her answer.

"No. Not from the villages."

"Then who is he and where is he from?"

"I cannot tell you." Rin whispers, eyes to the floor.

"Rin," he says in a serious tone, though his voice has always been serious, staring down at the girl before him, "we do not have time for this."

"Lord Sesshomaru, please do not force me. I really cannot tell you who he is and I cannot lie to you. Even if I were not playing the game, I could not lie to you."

"You will die, Rin," he tells her slowly and bitterly as he forces himself to say each word. But he has to. She needs to understand just how serious the trouble she's in is.

She goes stiff, but silent.

"Why?" he cannot understand.

She lets the silence fill the air for a while before saying, "Because I don't want you to hate me."

His eyes narrow at her soft words. He stares at her, wondering why he would hate her if he knew who it was.

"And he doesn't see me that way. He is too far out of my reach, and I am not worthy of him."

"Nonsense." No one would dare to say she is not worthy. She is the one and only ward of the lord of the west.

_They are running out of time!  
_  
The sun is about to set. Fifteen minutes, tops.

They won't make it in time, even if she tells him who he is. They would have to search for the man, and would have to prepare for the human ceremony which would not be fast enough.

"Is he Kohaku?" he asks. He doesn't even know where the boy is. And if the boy dares to think she is not worthy of him, he will make sure the boy sees things his way when he's done.

"NO! Not him, Lord Sesshomaru!" she immediately denies, in disbelief, protecting her friend. "He is just a normal friend. And he's married!" What makes him think Kohaku is the one? They are like best friends or brother and sister.

For a moment, the whole forest stands still. Not even a gust of wind dares to stir.  
He looks at the girl in defeat. He who has never admitted defeat to anyone before is now standing hopelessly. He cannot win this time.

Who is this man that she loves so much to turn his obedient Rin against him? She protects that man even now. He growls at the thought. She is going to die because of whoever that is.

Rin knows Sesshomaru too well. She knows not to tell him, because if she did, whoever her love is would not last long after Rin's death. But it's not the time for that.

_She is going to die._

The thought is heavy, too heavy for his body to handle. Yet his well-trained body doesn't betray him. He stands his ground, staring down to the short, beautiful woman before him.  
The sun is getting lower and lower.

He looks at Rin. She is looking away for a brief moment before looking back at him. She is observing him, memorizing every part of his face. She looks submitted to her fate.

"Can I touch your face, Lord Sesshomaru?" her bright, sad, pleading eyes look into his golden pair. He nods.

She slowly lifts up her right hand to touch his pale cheek, to stroke his face. Her left hand follows suit, moving his bangs out of his golden, sad eyes and making his purple strips on his cheeks visible to her. The haft moon mark on his forehead stands out to her eyes. His calm face remains unreadable to others, but to her eyes, he is in agony.

_She is going to die._

She will leave him once again.  
  
As if she can read his thoughts, she smiles.

_Foolish girl._

Why does she smile? The very same smile that broke through his cold demon heart's barrier when they met.

"I'm not scared anymore because you're here." She answers his silent question. He doesn't miss the sadness of departure from her voice. She may be calmer and say she is not scared, but who would believe her? She is about to die.

No.

He will not accept this. He won't let her die when there is still a choice. Even if she is against it, even if he is not the man she loves, he won't let her die. He has gone to hell, risking his life, to retrieve her body before, and he won't stand still and watch her return there.

Never.

"Rin."

She looks into his eyes. "Yes, Lord Sesshomaru?"

"Do you trust me?"

She smiles her angelic smile. How could she smile so brightly at a time like this?

"With my life," she answers.

His chest swells with pride at her undying trust.

He stands before her, gathering her silky, untamed hairs to one side over her shoulder. She is confused, but obediently lets him do whatever he must without a question.

He slides one side of her top kimono off, exposing her bare shoulder and neck. She blushes furiously as heat rushes through her cheeks.

He looks her in the eyes and, without a word, leans down toward her neck. His silver hair slides down her shoulder like running water while his bangs rub against her neck.

"This will hurt," his low voice whispers into her ear. His warm breath brushes her skin. "But I have no other choice." Then, his sharp fangs sink into her fresh.

She lets out a gasp. She almost screams, but she controls herself. She can feel his body go stiff at her gasps, and knows that Sesshomaru isn't happy at the idea of causing her pain. He never causes her to feel pain.

She stands still, eyes closes. Both her hands are pushing against his strong chest while his are holding her slender shoulders. She will absorb all of her lord that she can get. His touch, his warmth and his lips that press against her neck, even if it is painful will be absorbed.

Even if this would be the last time.

.

.  
About a minute has passed and she feels his wet tongue licking the blood on her wounded neck. It tickles. The pain is now gone and the sun is having its last peak over the horizon.

Once he pulls away from her and she is once again standing alone, she slowly opens her eyes to see that the black rose on the back of her right hand has turned green.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: _Nope, Not owning Inuyasha._

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_Thank you so much for the reviews guys. And special thanks to **ADreamerWithAPen **for edited the story.  
_

_**BlueGerm22, Lila Nightengale**, I'm glad that you guys find it exciting and romantic. :)_

_**Icegirljenni**: You mean at the end of ch.1 right? The rose on Rin's right hand turns green which mean the first quest is completed. Because when each quest is done, the flower changes colors, from black to green and then pink and disappear after the third one. So once it turns green means she is married, and that mean Sesshy married Rin. :}_

_I said 2 days, but it's been 3 days now. Sorry. I had to rewrite some parts so, yeah… To be honest, I am a bit afraid that ch 2 might disappoints you guys since it seems to takes a difference turn. Give it a read and let me know. I'm crossing my fingers. Reviews please. And thanks for the read, follow and favorite the story. Take care._

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Rin's second quest was to meet with the red dragon king of the North Sea in seven days, and the third was to travel to a floating island in the sky. Those demons thought it would be impossible for a wingless human to fly, but they had no idea. Not only had she been there before, but the owner of the island is none other than her lord's mother.

The quests were child's play when dealt with by Sesshomaru. Except he didn't need to, because as soon as the first quest was completed, Sesshomaru sent Rin back to the village and hunted down all the demons, giving them the hell they deserved.

But what's done cannot be undone. It has been three months and Rin is now picking the last blooming flowers before winter arrives in the western fortress in the name of the lady of the castle. The demons servants were more than surprised to see their human-hating Lord Sesshomaru mated to a human. Gossip has been buzzing inside the castle about Sesshomaru following his father's footsteps and mating a human girl. Sooner or later, she would lead him to his fall.

If only they were brave enough to say it to Sesshomaru's face.

Rin and Sesshomaru are mates, but they don't share a bed. She has her own room, just across from his.

Now, with his mark on her neck, no demons would dare to claim her. He knows she has a man she loves, but it would be an insult to his pride to have his mate become another man's wife. All the demons would laugh at him if they saw his mark on a man's wife. She has to stay with him.

Looking at the beautiful young woman humming amongst the variety of colorful flowers, wearing a simple yet elegant kimono, bathing in the evening sunlight, he knows he doesn't regret his choice. She is alive and that is enough.

He wonders if she feels the same, because she said she wanted to marry only the man she loves, but he has taken that choice away from her.

Winter has arrived. The castle is covered in white.

He denied at first, but slowly began to admit to himself that he is a bit jealous of whoever that man is. The man who has her affections and devotions.

Her attractions.

Yes, there is no doubt Rin is loyal to him, but it is not the same. She doesn't want him as a man and that makes his heart turn upside down. He's surprised with the truth that he wants her to want him.

His golden eyes that always had her in sight before are now secretly following her every move. The way he looks at her has changed. Before, he was making sure that she was safe, but now it is because he cannot tear his gaze away from her. Her carefree yet graceful walk, her laugh, her slim, perfect curves that he cannot help but notice, her soft, smooth, milky skin, and her angelic, sweet face. Her pink lips. No matter what he does, or how far the distance is, his senses and his gazes always trace back to her.

She always greets him with a sweet smile. He finds his heart quickening at the sight.  
On his patrolling routines, she tags along. He doesn't see a reason to stop her. She had traveled with him when she was a child, so it only makes sense to have her now, adult and capable of taken care of her own needs, with him. Most of all, she is his mate. Even if they are only mates in name, he wants her close.

Half a year has passed and his gaze has never left her. She is always smiling and talking. The demons in the castle have been defeated by her sweetness and have come to love her.

She is mature, but from time to time she still plays her childish game with his servant and longtime friend of hers, Jaken, the green imp who is barely reaches his knee. She sings and picks flowers while waiting for Sesshomaru and Ah-Un, the green, two-headed dragon with a horse-like body. The dragon's tail is full of scales, much like its body.

She doesn't seem unhappy.

At night, she sleeps next to the camp fire while he sits against a tree, staring up at the night stars. Only once she has fallen asleep does his gaze return to her peaceful face as he watches her instead. She is beautiful, he voices to himself.

There are times in the middle of the night when his inner voice tells him that watching her alone is not enough. He would silently and carefully come to gaze at her face, kneel beside her, and gently place his fingers on her flush, healthy face.

Part of him dares himself, **screaming** at himself to claim her.

_She is his!_

_He, Sesshomaru, Lord of the western land, always gets what he wants. He should make her his, and she has no right to deny him._

But all he allows is secretly tangling his fingers into or sometimes smoothing out her hair and permitting himself to drown in her scent and lose himself occasionally before returning to his post, or his room if they are back in his castle.

The knots inside his chest entangle themselves more and more whenever he thinks of the faceless man who has earned her affections. Sometimes, it becomes unbearable for him to think that her mind is full of another man's face. What kind of thoughts does she have of that person and how often does she think of him?

More than a year has passed, and it is now winter again. She still insists on patrolling with him and protests when he tells her it is too cold for her to travel. But he is pleased that she wants to join him.

"I have been through it before, and it won't stop me now." She would say cheerfully.

The patrol passes in the usual fashion, just as it has in the past: Rin chatting nonstop with Jaken, the imp retorting, only with more respectable language now that she is the lady of the west. She is in a thick winter kimono, and if snow is to pile up, she will be riding on Ah-Un.

At night, she sleeps and cuddles against the dragon horse, along with Jaken, covering herself with thick blankets. He cannot help but feel jealous of the dragon horse. Who would have thought the day would come when he was not only jealous of a man, but a dragon as well?  
_  
The one who she wraps her arms around and shares her body heat with should be him._

On one snowy day, he sends his retainer, Jaken, accompanied by Au-Un, to take care of some business. It will take three days for them to return. He can see that Rin is nervous and he doesn't like it. He hates that she is uncomfortable in his company. The sight of her is bittersweet. He wants her with him, no, he cannot be without her, but it always reminds him she loves another man. She is his, but not his.

She has been keeping her distance, making sure she doesn't come into physical contact with him. Before he had marked her, she would come running towards him at any given chance. She still does, but always with self-consciousness and self-control. She is restraining herself and keeping her distance. There is an invisible wall between them.

It has been snowing all day today, so he decides for them to take shelter inside a nearby cave. He had gathered dry woods and let her start the fire and goes on with her routines. She cooks the dry food she has been carrying and starts her meal. He stares at the falling snow that piles up inch by inch just outside the cave and covers the whole world in a white blanket.

Rin is talking nonstop; she has been talking more than usual because of her anxiety of being alone with him. It's annoying (hurtful, if he's not too proud to admit) to see her so nervous because of him.

After nightfall, she stirs the fire and adds more wood to make sure it would stay for a long while. She then wraps herself in thick blankets, getting ready for the night.

"Rin," he calls for her.

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru?"

He removes his armor and gestures for her to come lay next to him.

She stares stupidly at him for a few seconds even though she understands his gesture.

Her hesitation makes him angry.

_Would she be hesitating if he were the man she loved?_

That thought nearly makes his demon eyes flare bright red, but he manages to not let it slip. Rin has already become so wary of him.

"Rin. The cave's floor is too cold." His deep, monotone voice tells her.

Her face turns bright red. She unwraps the blankets and goes readily to lie beside him. He can feel her rising body heat slid against him, as well as her soft, fragile form and her racing heartbeats jumping inside her chest as she makes herself comfortable beside him.

He shifts, making room and making sure that his mokomoko covers her entire soft body. Her head nestles against his chest while one of his arms wraps around her waist.

It feels right to have her beside him, to have her scent entwine with his. This is the way it should have always been. It would be great if the sun never rose. He can tell she is holding her breath.

He knows that if he asks, she would do anything he wants. She is known as his mate. She is his.

She has always blindly trusted him, submitted to him. She would even give him her life. He could claim her anytime, he knows he could. One word from him and she would oblige.

But he doesn't want to force her into that kind of obligation, to make her come to him because she doesn't has a choice. How would he enjoy the moment when, as she lies beneath him, holding him, her mind fills with thoughts of another man? While he would moan with pleasure, her skin would crawl with disgust, wishing she could be anywhere but under him.

To be honest, he is sometimes tempted to hold her, even knowing it would go against her wishes. That's how much he has grown to want her. He knows she doesn't see him that way. So he stops himself. He has already forced her to be with him, he will not abuse his authority or her loyalty.

Since when did he care about other people's feelings? It has always been what he wants that came first. But Rin has always been an exception.

But that's not all the reasons. If her body denies him, he would fall apart. He is not too foolish; he knows that he is falling in love with this woman.

"Rin," he starts.

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru?" she answers, but does not look up.

"Are you happy here?" He asks the question, even though he might not want to hear the answer.

She gives him a sincere smile, "Of course, I am."

He looks at the girl who answers without a hint of hesitation. _So she is happy. Good_. He almost smiles. But what about what he did to her? He has chained her to him without her consent.

He has to know. "Do you hate me for what I did to you?" his voice sounds far and distant. He has been holding the question for over a year, and even now, he is still not sure if he's ready for the answer. But he hates not knowing.

She lifts up suddenly to a sitting position so she has a better view of his face. Her face is obviously displaying surprise and confusion. "What do you mean, my lord?"

He holds her gaze for a while before moving it to the dancing fire not too far from him. "I have taken away your chance of marrying the man you love."

Her eyes widen in disbelief. "You saved my life, my lord," she exclaims. And he isn't surprised that that is the way she see things. It's just like her. "It is I who should be apologizing for contaminating your name and forcing you to take such an action. You already sacrifice so much for me. How could I ever hate you?!"

And it's true. She knows if it were not because of the circumstance, Sesshomaru would never have marked her. She has brought so much disgrace to his name, being a human. Not only the demons from the castle, but all the demons were criticizing him, laughing behind his back, and all because of her. Her heart aches to know that she is the cause.

He lies still, eyes never leaving the fire, but he feels a burden he did not know he had been carrying lift off his shoulders. He always knew she didn't hold a grudge against him, but to hear it from her frees him. A long silence fills the air and only the wind that is blowing can be heard in the night.

Until he breaks the silence. "Who is the man you love?" It is the question that has been burning in the back of his mind.

She goes stiff. He slowly drags his eyes back to her uneasy face. They laid there for a while and then went back to the fire.

"I'm sorry, Rin, that I cannot let you go to him." His hand that had been wrapping around her waist unconsciously grasps her tighter and pulls her closer against him.

Possessively.

She looks at his soft expressionless face in the fire light, eyes narrowing onto the dancing fire flames. She doesn't miss the slight hurt hidden in his voice. Her mouth is still half open at his statement and she doesn't know what to think. It had never crossed her mind that he cares so much about her feelings.

No, that isn't true. She always known that he cares about her, she just never thought he would trouble himself because she told him she wanted to marry the man she loved.

She slowly leans her head on his shoulder again, feeling his body go stiff at her touch before relaxing once more. His arms hold her body firmly. She would not be able to get away if she tried. But she does not. She doesn't want to. Instead, she brings a hand to his chest.

"There is nowhere else I would rather be than beside you, Lord Sesshomaru. And the man I love…" She looks up shyly to his lazy gaze that hides the anticipation from her. His body is tense, and his icy heart is squashed and stabbed hard as he thinks of the man he has come to hate so much in the past year. "The man I love is the very same man who is embracing me now."

His golden eyes widen in surprise. A warm sensation flows throughout his whole body.

Relief.

His heart swells with happiness and his arms pull her small body tighter against his.

She is his.

Her heart is his.

She loves him.

He is happier than he could have ever imagined. At the moment, there is nothing in the world he would want. Power, land, wealth? Screw them all. His life feels completes.

"The one and only man I have ever loved is you, Lord Sesshomaru," she confirms with a warm, beautiful smile as well as a tight hug.

He leans in to kiss her forehead, inhale her scent, the things he has wanted to do for so long.

"Why did you not tell me back then?" His voice is soft.

"Because I was afraid you would hate me for fancying you. I am but a human."

"Nonsense," he tells her.

In truth, he did not see her as more than his adorable ward until the moment he marked her. But once he did, he decided to take care of her and started seeing her as a woman. The more he looks at her, the more he wants her all to himself; both heart and body. No matter what, he will never deny her.

No, that wasn't all true. It wasn't because he didn't want her, but he simply did not see the need to claim her because he was so damn sure she was his. She had turned down any man who tried to court her. He felt no threat until the day she told him she had a suitor who she wanted to spend her life with. It came to him as a shock. The dares forced him to mark her, but it might as well have just been an excuse for him to lower his pride. Deep down, he has always wanted her.

But that still doesn't explain why she has kept her distance from him, so he asks her about it.

"That's because you made it clear you didn't want me. You gave me a room and never came near me or had alone time with me," she tells him, and he senses the aching pain hiding in her eyes.

When she learned he had marked her, she was so happy she was crying. Her dream had come true; she was his mate. But as soon as the ritual was over and she went back to the western castle with him, he was almost never alone with her. She took that as a hint he did not want her. And she obliged his wish. He had saved her not once, not twice, but three times. It was all she could do for him. Give him the distance he needed. She was happy just being by his side, being his mate (in name).

"The distance I kept is because I was afraid if I got too close I would not be able to stop myself from forcing myself on you. You told me you had a man you loved." He explains, looking into her dark beautiful eyes.

"Are you saying that you don't mind me touching you?" she asks hopefully, eyes sparkling.

He replies with, "Hn." She has no idea just how much he has wants her.

"Can I kiss you?" she whispers. Her voice is hopeful, and afraid at the same time. It is the first time she has been so bold. But it is the thing she has dreamed of doing since she was fourteen.

He normally would only nod his head, but he decides to be clear. "You can do anything you want with me, Rin. I want you to."

With his permission, Rin blushes furiously and clumsily takes his first kiss. He lets her take the first steps to assure himself that he doesn't force himself on her, that he doesn't abuse his power. That she wants him. After that, he claims her and makes her his.

She is his, and will forever be his. And he is hers. He finally tells her the words he has wanted to tell her for so long.

"I love you."

She smiles.


End file.
